Photos By John Hoff (Using Jeff's Camera)Here are images and anecdotes of Election Night 2008...
From top to bottom:
1.) Election Night balloon decorations at Trocaderos Night Club. This was actually a test shot to learn about the camera functions, but it turned out better than some of my deliberate pictures.
2.) Here is the forehead of the young woman who told me and Jeff about Obama's victory. I took another picture but it wasn't as good as THIS one, actually.
3.) Individuals take the stage and the microphone at Tracaderos Night Club to speak about the Obama victory, and what it means.
4.) Two members of the jazz band which performed at Tracaderos. I didn't catch their name.
5.) Experiencing history...or television?
6.) Posing for pictures in front of the Obama mosaic became a popular way to get a souvenir photo of a historic night.
7.) The crowd at Tracaderos watching Obama's speech. One young woman had a small ornamental globe which she held in her hand, cuddling it like a baby. It was like she wanted that globe to always remind her of the night, so she brought it along to make it part of the moment.
8.) While McCain and Obama gave historic speeches, this band member was intently setting up equipment. I admired that. He had a job to do, and there was no time to pause to watch something on television. His memory of the night was his task, his duty to provide music.
9.) I took this picture at the Crowne Plaza. Apparently, some individuals on talk radio or the blogosphere or WHATEVER went nuts over a few "Ohio flags," thinking they were American flags modified into "Obama flags." (Click here for details) Well, here you are, wingnut talk radio. Go nuts.
I made a point of sending a link to this blog post and "Obama flag" image to a number of places to spark discussion. Using the flag in this way is very common in America, and my hero Abby Hoffman was notorious for it. I've seen "Flight 93" flags and "Harley Davidson" flags and flags where a bunch of soldiers have signed their names. But I imagine that of all the things in this post, the "Obama flag" might get the most attention.
10.) Jeff Skrenes with three members of ACORN, all wearing buttons. Jeff made a point of wearing his ACORN button throughout the night. Actually, that was another reason we went back to Jeff's car from Tracaderos...to retrieve his ACORN button.
One of the young women said that when she had been staying at a hotel as part of an ACORN event, some fellow volunteer stole her camera. I asked, "Are you sure it wasn't the hotel staff or something?" She said, well, that was the problem...she COULDN'T be sure, couldn't PROVE anything. But she's convinced. That (expletive) stole her camera.
11.) The meeting room at the Crowne Plaza was a mass of media. One question lingered everywhere: Franken and Coleman. What was the word?
I don't think that flag will cause much of a stir, although technically, according to flag etiquette you're not supposed to put ANY lettering or additional symbols on the flag. Flag etiquette is routinely broken these days, most commonly by people who wear flag lapel pins or put flag magnets on their cars. In any event, I don't think the wingnuts will misconstrue this as Obama's personal flag, like they infamously did with the Ohio flag.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the northside, Johnny... and we're all pulling for Al in the recount!
Its disgusting isn't it Rick that people just don't respect the flag anymore.
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